Berruti honoured for collaborative research approach

Franco Berruti, Professor
in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Director at
ICFAR, is the recipient of the 2012 Engineering Prize for Achievement in
Research.

Western Engineering News | April 18, 2013

There is no
‘I’ in research.

No one
knows this better than Franco Berruti, a Professor in the Department of
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Director at ICFAR.

“Franco
Berruti's
research approach is to develop strong collaborations, where the research team
considers not just the problem at hand, but related factors including
environmental issues such as sustainability, efficiencies and economy,”
explains Jesse Zhu, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering and Berruti's award nominator.

Zhu further
explains Berruti is results-oriented and builds on the members’ strengths to
see results.

“This team
approach accelerates knowledge generation,” says Zhu. “As a result of this
approach, Berruti and his collaborators have been extremely successful in
integrating academic research with industrial applications, resulting in
international recognition for their work.”

Specific
examples include 124 papers in refereed journals; 70 refereed papers in
conference proceedings; four patents, three invention disclosures, two patents
under consideration and one additional patent pending; over $35 million in
funding; plus many international awards and recognitions.

Technology
transfer and commercialization is also an important goal for Berruti in regards
to his research activities. To do this,
he has developed a huge number of industry contacts, both on his own and with
his primary collaborator, Cedric Briens.

“He has
secured industrial sponsors including Syncrude Canada, Imperial Oil,
FPInnovations, Molson Coors, and Chemtex, just to name a few,” says Zhu.

In
addition, Berruti and Briens have created a spin-off company called Agri-Therm
Inc., bringing
their novel mobile pyrolysis technology to market.

“There has
been great interest in this technology worldwide,” explains Zhu. “A university
in Mexico purchased the first unit.
Negotiations are underway with other potential buyers, including serious
interest from Asia.”

Together,
Berruti and Briens also brought to life their vision to create a research
institute that would become an internationally recognized centre where
academics, students and research personnel could conduct fundamental and
applied research and development activities in the fields of renewable energy,
vaporization of residues for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals,
and environmental protection and sustainability.

This
research institute is known today as ICFAR, the Institute for Chemicals and
Fuels from Alternative Resources. The team at ICFAR strives to quickly move research from the laboratory to large
demonstration projects at ICFAR and on to industry.

In
recognition of Berruti's strong international research
reputation, collaborations, and commercialization successes, he has been
awarded the Engineering Prize for Achievement in Research. Franco will be presented with the award at
the Western Engineering Faculty & Staff Awards Luncheon on May 16.